Evangelist and faith healer Benny Hinn is seen in this undated file photo provided by his ministry.

Benny
Hinn, Christian faith-healing evangelist, has asked supporters to step
up to "higher seed-level giving" by donating $1,000 to his ministry,
with the suggestion that they would enter a "new dimension of favor and
increase" like he did after trying out financial teacher Todd Coontz's
"thousand-dollar principle."

Hinn, whose followers number more than 1.7 million on Facebook and
Twitter, credited Coontz as inspiration for the higher seed-level giving
principle in a newsletter emailed to supporters over the weekend.
"I've
believed in seed-faith giving for decades, and I've seen it work time
after time, but where do you get this $1,000 teaching?" Hinn says he
asked Coontz during a conference in Dallas. "He showed me from the Bible
how Solomon offered a thousand animals to God. He told me there's
something very special about the number 1,000 and the miracles he has
seen when people cross that line in giving."

After trying out
Coontz's "$1,000 teaching," Hinn claims he received from God "quick"
results that were "nothing short of miraculous, and totally
life-changing!"

"Because of what I heard, and responding to his
challenge, I stepped into a new dimension of favor and increase," adds
Hinn. "And that's the purpose of this email!"

Hinn goes on to cite
Luke 6:38 and 2 Corinthians 9:6, verses popular among prosperity
preachers, about receiving or "reaping" in proportion to one's giving,
or "sowing," stating, "Give God more to work with. Expect more. Greater
faith releases the anointing!"

Prosperity preachers commonly claim
that God rewards financially those who donate money, oftentimes to
their own ministries or churches, and that the more one gives, the
bigger the reward.

In his request for supporters to "move up to a
higher level," the Israel-born televangelist explains why the figure
1,000 holds significance in the Bible: "In fact, the word thousand is
recorded in the King James Version of the Bible 521 times, so it is
obviously a number that is important to the kingdom of God."
Hinn
concludes his appeal by encouraging supporters to "sow a generous gift
of $1,000 or whatever God places on your heart today."

Although
Hinn reports having several outreach ministries, such as orphanages in
places like Asia and Mexico, and relies on donations to finance his
national and international "miracle crusades" and evangelistic meetings,
the minister remains controversial among some in the Christian
community for teaching a prosperity message. Hinn, who reportedly has a
net worth of $42 million, also has been criticized and investigated by
numerous news organizations for his purported faith healings.

Coontz
is described as a businessman, entrepreneur, television host, financial
teacher, philanthropist and best-selling author. He also is a
televangelist who promotes on his RockWealth International Ministries
website at least four different options for "seed" giving. The giving
options range from a "Hope Seed" of $30 a month to feed the hungry, to
the "Triple Favor Seed" with a price tag of $1,000.

(Photo: http://rockwealth.org)

Todd
Coontz's website offers donors the opportunity to plant various
"seeds," including to feed the hungry or get a "triple favor."

Coontz,
who claims that "for over 20 years he has carefully embraced his
lifetime assignment and passion to teach people how to Qualify, Receive,
and Manage Wealth according to Deuteronomy 8:18," was the subject of a news investigation last
year for telling viewers of his TV program to rush him a $273 "Recovery
Seed" donation. His RockWealth International Ministries is affiliated
with RockWealth International Church, which is registered in South
Carolina with the IRS and appears to exist only online.

Coontz and Hinn frequently work together, with the financial guru and minister tweeting on
Monday that he had just arrived at Los Angeles International Airport to
do a taping with the charismatic preacher. Coontz also shared a photo
over the weekend of himself and Hinn, whom he identified as an "Uncommon
Healer & Teacher of Jesus Christ!"

(Photo: Twitter/Dr. Todd Coontz)

Evangelist Benny Hinn and financial expert Todd Coontz appear in this photo shared on Twitter on June 15, 2014, by Coontz.

Benny
Hinn Ministries is affiliated with his Texas church, World Healing
Center Church, a nonprofit organization that is registered with the IRS
and not required to publicly disclose its financial information, as is
the case with Coontz's organization.

Next up for Hinn on what he calls his worldwide miracle healing crusade is an event on June 19 in Tunapuna, Trinidad, described on the evangelist's website as a "fire impartation conference."